Tales From The Carlisle All-Chrysler Nationals Dyno Challenge

Every year at the All-Chrysler Nationals at Carlisle, we spend a lot of time with Steve Pilik of DynoTek and his portable chassis dyno. After all, it’s interesting to see just how much horsepower you guys are really putting to the pavement. We’re always impressed with the muscle that street cars are actually producing. This year was no exception; one participant even maxed-out the dyno (although he came loaded for bear).

If you think your car is making 500 hp at the rear wheels, this is one way to prove it. For a nominal fee, Steve will strap your car to his chassis dyno and make three “passes.” When he’s done, you get a computer printout showing exactly where your car makes the most power. Steve can even install an exhaust probe and let you know if you need to do some carb jetting work.

For those of you who couldn’t make it to this year’s event, here are some highlights. Are we going to do it again next year? You bet. After all, we like watching you guys make your Mopars scream for mercy.

Horsepower: 309 at 5,500 rpmTorque: 452 at 2,800 rpmIt may not have been the prettiest car to roll onto the dyno, but this ’62 Dart owned by John Pehlman of Reading, Pennsylvania, was one of the coolest. The .030-inch over 440 sports 906 heads, a Hughes Hydraulic cam, and an 800 Holley on a Torker II intake. A 727 pushbutton transmission is connected to the 831/44 rear with 3.91 gears. Guess what the extra toggle switch is for? You definitely want to stay behind John.

Horsepower: 430 at 6,000 rpmTorque: 510 at 3,600Talk about wild-looking. Rick Tyre brought his ’71 GTX from Lebanon, Indiana, and put the 6-71 blown and Accel DFI-injected 440 to the test. The 440 block sports a set of Eagle rods and a Mopar Performance crankshaft, and is bolted to a 727 TorqueFlite. Rick didn’t say what camshaft he was running, but he did tell us it ran an 11.73 quartermile time at 121 mph.

Horsepower: 447 at 6,350 rpmTorque: 417 at 3,900 rpmIt’s big, it’s brash, and it definitely hauls you know what. Mark O’Malia of Walpole, Massachusetts, brought his ’64 Belvedere wagon to flog on the dyno, and boy did he. The 426 Hemi sports a .030-inch overbore and a 11/44-inch stroker crank, plus a .690-inch roller cam and Indy cylinder heads. Supporting the twin Holley carbs is an original cross-ram intake. The Dave Mann-built engine is hooked up to a 4.10-filled Dana rear via a four-speed tranny.

Horsepower: 312 at 5,700 rpmTorque: 332 at 4,300 rpmFor the Dakota crowd, Wayne Lukonis of Meriden, Connecticut, put a 380-horse 360 crate engine in his ’99 pickup for extra motorvation. It’s topped with an M-1 intake and four-barrel throttle-body with 42-pound fuel injectors. Exhaust flows through a 4-inch system, and the ’99 Dakota uses the stock tranny that sends the power to the stock factory rear.

Horsepower: 476 at 5,800 rpmTorque: 495 at 3,200 rpmAnother blown Dyno Challenge entry was brought in by George Cobb of Jamestown, Ohio. His ’72 Road Runner sports a 440 filled with a solid-lift Isky cam and a stock crankshaft and connecting rods. Since there is a big 6-71 huffer up top, George only builds 7.5:1 compression using Venolia pistons. From there, the ponies travel through a four-speed, ending up at the 831/44 rear filled with 3.73 gears.

Horsepower: 204 at 5,800 rpmTorque: 228 at 4,800 rpmIn the little-engine-that-could category, Kevin Belcher of Landsdale, Pennsylvania, strapped his ’72 Challenger to the dyno and let her fly. The little LA was sporting a .030 overbore, and building 9.5:1 compression. The Mopar Performance .484-lift cam slammed the valves open and closed when needed. Go-go juice was fed from a 650 Holley carb through an Edelbrock Performer intake, and the engine was mated to a 904 tranny leading to an 831/44 rear with 3.91 gears.

Horsepower: 763 at 2,200 rpmTorque: 1,470 at 2,200 rpmIn the “What the heck was that?” class, Doug Smith of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, wowed the crowd when he maxed out the dyno. His ’01 Ram sports a six-cylinder. It may be a six, but it’s a Cummins turbo diesel six with some “extras.” The diesel engine benefits from bigger injectors and fuel pump, along with nitrous and a propane injection system. The stock automatic tranny connects to a stock rear, and could rip a house off its foundation.

Horsepower: 287 at 2,300 rpmTorque: 634 at 2,300 rpmWhen Jamie Passon of Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, backed his 2000 Ram with the Cummins Diesel onto the dyno, Doug Smith’s (see above results) first words were, “Uh-oh.” Then the questions started to fly. Easy, Doug. Jamie doesn’t have any bottles hidden in the bed. The only power-adder Jamie used was the Banks turbo, and Jamie told Doug that his dyno crown was safe. The factory five-speed sends the power to a big ol’ 911/44-inch rear.

Horsepower: 218 at 4,400 rpmTorque: 291 at 3,400 rpmEven untouched power can be found on the dyno at Carlisle. Sal Frasca of Brooklyn, New York, brought his 96,000-mile ’68 Barracuda to the show and strapped it down. The Formula S A-Body has never had its driveline touched, and it still uses the factory gaskets. The auto shifted Barracuda utilizes an 831/44 rear.

Horsepower: 209 at 4,200 rpmTorque: 290 at 3,200 rpmIn order to know if the modifications you make are worthwhile, you first need to know what you are starting with. Todd Dwars of Ellicot City, Maryland, brought his bone-stock 2000 Dakota R/T to Carlisle and strapped it down. He says this gives him a baseline for upcoming mods, and he plans on retesting the truck next year. Smart thinking, Todd.

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